A Romantic, Lush Wedding at Secret Garden in Phoenix, Arizona

Yes, you can have a lush outdoor wedding in Phoenix, Arizona. “We wanted to bring the garden to the desert with our wedding and had to find the perfect venue to do so,” Shelby Bowman (25 and a marketing specialist) says of her wedding to Grant Gosselin (25 and a sales representative). “Once we saw the Secret Garden Event Center, everything fell into place.” Inspired by the natural beauty of the venue, the couple highlighted the space with a neutral palette of cream, blush and greens with accents of gold and silver. Fiori Floral Design draped the arch in greenery and fresh blooms to continue to the soft and romantic garden theme. The couple included a nod to their love story in their signature cocktails: “We went to college and met in Texas and the song ‘Honey Bee’ by Blake Shelton was very popular, so we created our bride and groom drinks off the lyric ‘You’ll be my glass of wine, I’ll be your shot of whiskey.’ ” Another standout detail? Shelby and her bridesmaids came up with a secret bridal-party dance they made up the morning of the wedding. “We choreographed a short dance to ‘Uptown Funk’ to get the dancing started,” Shelby says. “Then AZ Celebrity DJ invited the guests onto the floor. It was a crazy rush of people! There was not one person left in their seat.” See the pretty details, captured by Monique Hessler Photography, below.